The blog has been created to express thoughts and exchange information on higher education. The individuals engaged in teaching, research, administration of higher education are welcome to contribute through comments.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

As a Principal of an engineering college I met number of parents, especially while seeking admission for their ward, asking about which engineering college or engineering branch will be good. Here are some tips.

Choosing a College:

(a)Read the information given in the brochure provided by the Director technical Education (DTE) and also that provided by the college

(b)Go to the website(s) of the college and click on the “Compulsory Disclosure” and read the information carefully. If the college has not disclosed the proper information, report to DTE

(c) Ensure that the college/society does not run any unauthorised courses.

(d) Go through all 'Heads' displayed in the website

(e)It is necessary to visit the concerned college and the department where you intend to seek the admission. Look for the following information:

(i)College management and their track record

(ii)College principal and his reputation

(iii)Department head, his/her reputation, number of faculty and their qualification, teaching experience. As per the current AICTE norms, the engineering colleges are required to maintain 1:2:6 ratio among Professors:Associate Professors:Assistant Professors. Note how many faculty have Ph. D.

(iv)Department laboratories, equipment

(v)Research currently undergoing in the Department and the involvement of faculty members and students in therein. This is important, as the

quality of teaching is almost proportional to the quality of research.

(vi)Research papers published by the faculty in the international journals. national events organised by the College for students and the professionals

(vii)University Results and consistency: Students in the university merit list (first ten) for last three years.

(viii)College fees: should be proportional to the reputation

Pitfalls:

The following aspects speak good of an educational institution, however choosing an institution only on any one or two of these, ignoring the points given above, could be a pitfall:

(a) The college building and surroundings are highly impressive (Take a look at the college laboratories, class rooms and toilets)

(b) The College name figures many times in the news channels

(c) The college organises mega events (organising a mega social, sports or
competition event, with budget more than INR 5 million, takes nearly 4-5
months organisational work by the college faculty and staff, which is
likely to cause negligence towards academics)

Engineering Branch:

All engineering branches are good. The branch should be chosen without any gender bias. In order to secure good job, it necessary that your ward secures First Division, consistently. All reputed companies look for consistency in the academic performance.

Seek admission for your ward, once you are satisfied with these aspects.